Railway-switch.



J. G. FOIIRNI ER.-

RAILWAY SWITGH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1912;l

Patented Ag.26,1913.

N 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J..G. FOURNIER.

- RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIUATION I ILBD JUNE 19, 1912.

1,071,040, Patented Aug.26,19'1`3.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E/l l' www@ ' :.GJPOURNIBR] RAILWAY'SWITGH.. l i APPLrouIpN FILED JUNE 19, 1m. :1,071,040. v .xPatntedAu ,26, 1913- n a' SHEETS-MEETS.

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Speciieation of Letters-Patent.

Application fled fune i9, 1912. Serial Zdatblil.

T0 all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. FOURNIER, a citizen of the United States, residing;` at Chisholm, in the county ci' Franklin and Sta-te of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Railway- Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and iigures oic reference marked thereon, which. orin a. ypart of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway switches and it has for its object the provision of switch operating mechanism so disposed as to permit the setting of the switch by the raising ofthe switch rail from a point 'oeloW the tracli level instead of .moving the rail laterally as has heretofore been the common practice.

An. essential object-of the invention resides in the construction whereby the raising and lowering of the switch rail is accomplished and' in the switch-operating mechanism ennoloyed to accomplish zthe setting of the switch.

A substantie-l advanta e derived I.by the raising and lowering oit' t e switch irail over the switch-operating mechanism heretofore employed, whereby the setting ci .the switcl is accomplished by a horizontal .mov ment of the switch. rail, will at onceebe evident which the switch rail is forced in the setting of the switch.

Gther advantages will hereinafter anpear.; To these' ends and to such others as thef invention may pertain, the same consists in the novel construction of the switch operating apparatus and in the manner in which the switch rails are disposed relative to the track rails, all as will he more fully herein- .after deseribed, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specically dened in the appended claims.

The invention. is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, with the nuinain .track yrail.

' tnated by the sWitch-operating'lever 3.

inerals ci reference marked thereon, ferm e .part of this specication and in whicli- Figure l is .a plan View .of a yrailway switch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon the line 92--2 oit Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig'. l. 'l-ig. :4r is a cross sectien upon the line /l-li ci :Eig: l. Fig. is n side elevation of one oi" the cross ties. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the rail, and Figs. 8 and .9 are detail .views ci the snpporting or sliding block.

lReference now being had to `the-details of the drawings by numerelszl, 'l are the niain.

rails of a railway track and 2, .2 the niovable or switch Irails which are-designed in thel present instance to be set by Aineens oit svvitchoper...ting crank or lever 3 disposed at the side of the track, the said-operating lever being provided, iii desired, with a suites.

able signal lamp d.

5, 5 lare cross ties orftirnhers, theendlportions of' which serve as supports for the The central Aportions of the ties .are chamber-ed ont as shown at'56, and journaled Within suitable supports provided vtherefor is "a longitudinally disposed shaft 8.

9, 9 .are blocks, the 7lover faces of which are .beveled as shown at l0, the bevel correspending with ythe bevel inclined side walls lil of t--e chamber 6, over which inclined surfaces the said blocks move when acrlhe. upper faces of the said blocks are chanchered as shown at 12 lto form aseaticr the lflange upon the of the switch rails scented .upon the block. Yenes, i3 are secured to the @ook shaft 8 -andhave 'pivot-al connection with eyes 15 'formed at the inner endszofthe rods 14,wliich in turn, are -pivoteo. in pairs to each of said blocks 9.

.lo is a connecting link oivotally connected at ene ,of its ends With the outer end oi an .arm 112'., the opposite end of which arm is movements imparted' to the switch. rails,

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y through the medium of the n'iovable blocks openings in the base 7 upon ing to protect the 9, contact of the vertical meeting faces of the rails will be maintained. The vertical faces of the beveled switch rails are provided with beveled chambered portions 19, 20 and 2l, while the straight portion of the rail is provided with rectangular chambers or recesses 22. These chambers are designed lo receive the beveled portions of the blocks upon which the rail is seated and serve to `guide the rail seclflrely retain the vertical face of the rail in contact with the vertical face of the track rail, while the lower face of the said switch rail is provided at intervals with dowel pins or extensions 23 which move-in vertical which the rail is seated and serve also to retain the rail in vertical alinement at all times.

Vilhile, for the sake yof clearness, I have not shown a platform for covering the switcheoperating mechanism, in practice it will be found advisable to provide a coverworking mechanism of the device between the tracks from ice and snow during the winter season.'

From the foregoing description, the op eration ofthe switch will be at once readily understood.

The rotation of the switch lever 3 through the mechanism interposed between itand the rock shaft 8, serve to effect a partial rotation of said shaft. The turning ofthe lever in one direction will serve to rotate the blocks upon which the vertically movable switch rails are seat-ed and to bring the tread of said' rails into alinement with the tread of the main track rails, thus setting the switch, while a -rotation of the crank in the opposite direction will serve to depress the blocks and rails carried thereby, thus restoringr the alinement of the track rails.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters .Patent is 2* y 1.111 a railway switch apparatus, the combination with the main and siding rails of a railway, vertically movable switch points, ties upon which said rails and points are mounted, and provided with inclined in its vertical movement and will,

shaft, said blocks movable upon said inshaft, said blocks movable upon said inways, a rock shaft and means for rocking the same, blocks with pivot-al yoke and rod connections between the same and said roel:

clined ways of the ties and adapted to raise and lower one or the other of said switch points, projections upon said switch points, apertured plates upon the ties in which said projections are guided as the switch points are raised and lowered.

In a railway switch apparatus, the combination with the main and siding rails of a railway, vertically movable switch points, ties upon which said rails and points are mounted, and provided with inclined ways, a rock shaft and means for rocking the same, blocks with pivotal yoke'and rod connections between the same and said rock cl'ined ways of the ties and adapted to raise and lower one or the other of said switch points, projections upon said switch points,- apertured plates upon the ties in which said project-ions are guided as the switch points are raised and lowered, the face of each switch point rail being recessed and adapted to receive the inclined ways upon said ties.

3. In a railway switch apparatus, the combination with the main and siding rails of a railway, vertically movable switch points, ties upon which said rails and points are mounted, and provided with inclined ways, a rock shaft and means for rocking the same, the under surface of each block being inclined and having a projection upon one edge thereof with an under cut recess in its edge for engagement with' the flange of the switch point, and a horizontal p0r tion at the upper end of the inclined block, for engagement with a horizontal portion of the tie at the upper end of said inclined way, and means for rocking the shaft to raise said blocks and means for holding the same in elevated positions, as set forth. 95

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH G. FOURNER.

' lVitnesses:

JOHN MERRIMAN, L. A. MERRIMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ef Batents, Washington, D. C. 

